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5 things to know about the government shutdown today

USA Today, WBIR 10:26 a.m. EDT October 2, 2013

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 01: People look at a sign informing them that the Statue of Liberty is closed due to the government shutdown in Battery Park on October 1, 2013 in New York City. Federal museums and parks across the nation are closed starting today due to a government shutdown for the first time in nearly two decades. The Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all rose slightly higher in early trading Tuesday morning.(Photo: Spencer Platt Getty Images)

(USA TODAY) The federal government is in Day 2 of its first shutdown since 1996. An estimated 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed, the lights are turned off in many government offices, and clinical drug trials and disease-prevention work have been hampered. What you need to know:

GOP piecemeal plan to fund government fails in House

Republicans fell short Tuesday in their bid to fund national parks, veterans' programs and other popular parts of the federal government, in an effort to reduce the shutdown's impact. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said the piecemeal approach would "continue to move the ball down the field" as the GOP, Democrats and the White House try to find an agreement for full government funding. The Senate and President Obama rejected such an approach anyway. Amy Brundage, a White House spokeswoman, said "piecemeal efforts are not serious."

Speaker Boehner: Obama owns this shutdown now

In an op-ed column for USA TODAY, House Speaker John Boehner criticizes President Obama and Democrats in Washington for refusing to negotiate with Republicans and blames them for the shutdown."This is part of a larger pattern: the president's scorched-Earth policy of refusing to negotiate in (a) bipartisan way on his health care law, current government funding or the debt limit."

Shutdown doesn't keep vets from World War II Memorial

One of the most visible signs of the government shutdown are the "closed" signs and barricades at national parks and monuments. That didn't deter 91 World War II veterans from Mississippi who flew to Washington. A group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., pushed aside the barricades and escorted veterans, some in wheelchairs, to tour the iconic memorial to their heroism and service to the country. One unexpected impact of the shutdown: The Defense Department has suspended athletics at the military academies, which could lead to the postponement of this weekend's Navy vs. Air Force football game.

How much does this cost?

President Obama warned a government shutdown will harm the economy, and could have grim consequences depending on how long it will last. IHS Global Insight, a market research firm, estimated the shutdown could cost $1.6 billion a week in lost economic output. NBC News reported that would translate to about $300 million a day or $12.5 million an hour.

Social media, websites affected

Some federal agencies placed "splash" pages on their websites to explain their status. Some websites for critical government functions, like the IRS, are functioning but won't be updated. Twitter followers received a message from the architect of the U.S. Capitol proclaiming certain accounts will be inactive. A message posted on first lady Michelle Obama's Twitter account said tweets would be limited "due to Congress's failure to pass legislation to fund the government."

And a bonus sixth item: Obama cuts short trip to Asia

President Obama has shortened his Asia trip scheduled for next week, telling the leaders of Malaysia and the Philippines he would not be traveling to those countries because of the government shutdown.